In recent years, digital cameras are becoming popular, and captured object image data are frequently transferred to another apparatus such as a personal computer (PC), another digital camera, or a printer.
Studies of a face recognition technique in an image capturing apparatus are also progressing. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-252457 discloses an invention in which the face images of objects and pieces of information on image destinations are registered in association with each other. When a captured image matches registered information, the image is transmitted. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-356986 discloses an invention in which person images and mail addresses are managed in correspondence with each other. When a captured image contains a registered person image, the image is transmitted to the corresponding mail address. These techniques associated with an image transmission technique using a face recognition technique in an image capturing apparatus are known.
In the above-described prior art, person images and pieces of information on image destinations are managed in association with each other. If a captured image contains a registered person image, the image can be transmitted to the corresponding transmission destination.
However, it is difficult to instantaneously determine, out of persons contained in a captured image, persons whose information on an image destination is already registered, persons to whom an image is already transmitted, and persons to whom an image is not yet transmitted.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-252457, registered information on an image destination can be superimposed on a captured image and displayed. However, it is impossible to determine whether the captured image is already transmitted to the transmission destination.